General view

During the Middle Ages, Copenhagen became an important town for trade across the Baltic Sea, as did many other market towns along the Danish coast. To protect the trading centre, a huge fortification was erected encircling the town. In the middle of the 15th century Copenhagen became the royal residence and (in 1443) the capital of the Kingdom of Denmark, which at that time included all of Norway, the southern third of Sweden and large areas of northern Germany. Christian IV had new Renaissance buildings constructed in the medieval town, among them the Børsen (Exchange, 1619-40) by the Dutch architects Lourens van Steenwinckel and Hans van Steenwinckel the Younger; the Rundetaarn (Round Tower, 1643) with an Astronomical Observatory; the Rosenborg Palace (before 1613), a Renaissance parade castle not used as a permanent residence; and the Tøjhuset (Royal Arsenal, 1598-1604).

Børsen, also known as Børsbygningen (“The Stock Exchange”), is situated next to Christiansborg Palace, the seat of the Danish Parliament, on the island of Slotsholmen. It is most noted for its distinctive spire, shaped as the tails of four dragons twined together, reaching a height of 56 metres.

Built under the reign of Christian IV in 1619-1640, the building is considered a leading example of the Dutch Renaissance style in Denmark. It was planned by Christian IV as part of his plan to strengthen Copenhagen’s role as a centre for trade and commerce in Northern Europe. The king charged Lourens van Steenwinckel with the design of the new building, but Steenwinckel died shortly thereafter. The assignment was then passed on to his brother, Hans van Steenwinckel the Younger.

The site first had to be prepared since the embankment had not yet stabilized. Construction of the building began in 1620 and was largely completed in 1624 with the exception of the spire (installed in 1625) and details of the east gable (completed in 1640). The building contained 40 trading offices at the ground floor and one large room at the upper floor. The building was in use as a marketplace during the late 1620s.